DHS says 33 agencies will receive endpoint asset management and software assurance
tools. The agency would not identify which of the 33 would be first on the list to
receive the cyber apps.

"We are committed to deploying CDM tools and services as quickly as and
efficiently as possible," DHS stated in the FAQ document sent to Federal News
Radio. "We
are particularly pleased to report that strategic sourcing resulted in an average
30 percent reduction off GSA Schedule 70 pricing for the commodities purchased
today, for a budget avoidance of up to $18 million. This award will allow federal
departments and agencies to gain more comprehensive situational awareness into
their cybersecurity risk posture and begin to mitigate the most significant risks
first."

DHS is leading the effort to help agencies meet the Office of Management and
Budget's 2017 deadline to
implement dynamic, proactive cybersecurity.

GSA and DHS are working on another award in the coming months for a continuous
monitoring dashboard tool.

"It's great to see DHS moving swiftly to get this first phase of a major
government cybersecurity program underway," said Ken Kartsen, vice president,
McAfee Federal, who is a subcontractor to the Knowledge Consulting Group under
this program. "CDM will create efficiencies, cost-savings and ultimately a higher
level of cybersecurity for civilian agencies — and any other entities that
choose to use it. One of the best features of CDM is that it's an iterative
process, which makes good sense. Government agencies shouldn't be expected to leap
from A to Z immediately. With CDM, they can move progressively through
thoughtfully designed steps to achieve a high level security posture. This is an
important change from the past, under FISMA and the report card model."

This story is part of Jason Miller's Inside the Reporter's Notebook feature. Read more from this week's edition.